Williston Basin Petroleum Conference Attracting Oil Industry Leaders

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This international conference brings together a wide array of industry representatives, regulators and political leaders from across the United States and Canada,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council

Bismarck (PRWEB)March 5, 2010

The North Dakota Petroleum Council will host the 18th annual Williston Basin Petroleum Conference and Expo in Bismarck May 2 - 4, drawing about 2,000 industry officials and 300 exhibitors.

The event, being held at the Bismarck Civic Center, will be one of the largest events in Bismarck this year. Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, said North Dakota’s active oil industry is attracting interest throughout the nation/world.

“This event has grown rapidly because of production and interest in the Bakken formation,” Ness said. “Participants will hear presentations from top experts in the field and industry leaders from across North America will discuss the ‘hot plays’ in the Williston Basin including the Bakken, Three Forks, and Lodgepole formations. If you're in the oil or gas industry, this expo is the place to be.”

The Bakken formation is where oil producing rock is sandwiched between layers of shale nearly two miles beneath the ground in western North Dakota and parts of Montana and Canada. The Geological Survey in 2008 called the Bakken formation the largest continuous oil accumulation it has ever assessed, at 4.3 billion barrels.

The North Dakota Petroleum Council, the North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources are hosting the conference and expo, which began in 1993. The conference will include more than 70 presenters covering a wide array of topics such as the latest technology, engineering, geology, drilling, frac techniques, pipelines, and marketing. More than 500 participants have already registered.

“This international conference brings together a wide array of industry representatives, regulators and political leaders from across the United States and Canada, all with a vested interest in the Williston Basin,” Ness said. “These presentations and other general education sessions, accompanied by 300 exhibits, are sure to pique the interest of many.”

The event’s speakers include Gov. John Hoeven, Sen. Byron Dorgan and top executives from Houston-based Marathon Oil Corp., and Denver-based Whiting Petroleum Corp. Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall has also been invited to speak. Additional information and registration details are available on the North Dakota Petroleum Council website at http://www.ndoil.org.

The Williston Basin Petroleum Conference and Expo is open to members of the news media. For information related to media registration, please e-mail info(at)ndoil(dot)org.